Should the Great Smoky Mountain National Park charge backpackers for camping overnight in the park?  According to an article published yesterday by National Parks Traveler, the answer is a resounding NO:   

John Quillen, a Tennessean from Knoxville who fought to have the public comments on the fee proposal made public, says that by his calculation the comments were “almost 20 to 1 against the fee.” 

Part of the concern was that the proposed fees, which range from a low of $4 per person per night to a high of a $10 registration fee plus $2.25 per night per person, could eclipse front-country campsite fees, which range from $14-$20 per night, depending on how many are in your group. 

The Park obviously needs money to operate, and with no ability to collect money at the entrance (due to a 1936 Tennessee law), the Park doesn’t have these funds to generate the operating revenue that benefits the other major parks.  So, maybe we should give the Smokies a break?  Improved trail conditions and better management of the shelters and campsites would benefit us all, and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most heavily traveled (and used) in the nation.  

Yet as a frequent visitor to the park, I wonder if more user fees only encourage the Federal Government to take their money elsewhere – making it difficult to get the funding back to the Smokies when they really need it.    

I expect that Park Superintendent Ditmanson would say no to that, but my prediction is that backpackers will eventually pay fees to camp overnight in the Smokies backcountry.  I doubt it will be to the extent that backpackers pay user fees in the Whites (of New Hampshire), but I fully expect the day is coming.  So enjoy the free camping while you have it. The Smokies backcountry is a great place – even at $4/night.    

 In Episode 8 of the N2Backpacking podcast series, I speak with my father about how he introduced me to the outdoors and how he served up a steady dose of hiking, camping, and fishing before I reached elementary school.  We talk about the early years, of catching my first fish, of car camping in Ohio, and about the Appalachian Trail – where he joined me for a few days in June during  my 1994 thru-hike.  

Weeks later, my father returned to the A.T.  but this time with a family friend while I continued making my way north toward Mt. Katahdin.  While I hiked through New England, they set out for one of the most spectacular areas in the Southeast  -  the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area and the neighboring Grayson Highlands State Park.   After a great start to the trip, their hike was cut short as misery ensued and only a healthy dose of trail magic could save the day.   

Subject: The Appalachian Trail With Dad
Interviewees:  Richard Goodrich
Interview Date:  February 11, 2012
Runtime: 33:11
Download Now: The Appalachian Trail w/ Dad (WMA format 8.1 Meg); The Appalachian Trail w/ Dad (MP3 format 24.3 Meg) 

I have used both stand-alone GPS units and Smartphone apps on the trail and have yet to resolve which is better.  For short day hikes – the Smartphone apps win hands down for convenience and their instant access to trail databases from companies like the North Face.  But in the backcountry?  I tend to agree with this assessment by Backpacker Magazine gear editor, Kristin Hostetter:

In a nutshell, here are the pros of using a smartphone with a navigation app: great for local hikes, daily activity mapping like runs and bike rides, perfect for snapping and georeferencing photos on the go. Maps are seamless and less expensive that what you will pay for expensive map packages from the standalone GPS dealers.

 

And here are the cons: Like with most smartphone, you can’t swipe the Defy with gloves; in direct sunlight the screen washes out; and the BLUR social networking software is a bit intrusive. And let’s face it: if you’re going for a week or more on a backcountry jaunt, you’ll want the convenience of replaceable batteries for your handheld GPS. Solar panel chargers need to pick up the pace to match the development of the phones they hope to power.

I only sporadically use my Smartphone as a GPS in the backcountry, but the software is improving and with some extended battery life – my stand-alone GPS may soon become a thing of the past.   

The Mrs. and I just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon, and if you haven’t seen it – the winter is a great time to go.  There are fewer people, there’s no summer 100+ heat, and it’s fairly easy to book a room at the last minute – even on a weekend.

I made my first trip to the Canyon in 1996 during a three month cross-country roadtrip that put 17,000 miles on my car and had us touch all four corners of the Lower 48.  We arrived on the North Rim in mid-summer with 104 degree heat and mobs of people in every direction.  I’m embarrased to say that we didn’t hike a single mile on that trip.    

After that experience, I longed for cooler temps and for a backpacking trip to the bottom of the Canyon.  I returned in December 2002 to find snow at the South Rim and scant crowds three weeks before Christmas.  We hiked 16.6 miles on that trip and stayed at both the Bright Angel and Indian Garden Campgrounds.  The hike was on corridor trails which are heavily traveled – even in the off-season – but we enjoyed every minute of it.

When I returned to the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago, snow lingered once again along the 7300′ rim at Shoshone Point.  And the canyon looked much as it did ten years earlier -massive, tranquil, and even dangerous as you stand on the unguarded rim.  

If you haven’t seen it – you owe it to yourself in this life.  It’s one of those fascinating places that (despite its great age) just never gets old.      

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password: